King Henry's Champion (9 page)

“That is why you insisted we wear mail, my lord.”

“It is Wulfric.  This will not be a gentle progress south.  We are heading into enemy territory.  Treat it as such.”

York had grown since the Conqueror had first come north. The former home of the Danes was now the second city of England.  The Archbishop of York was now the most powerful man outside of London.  Even the Earl of Gloucester bowed to the prelate. He was more than a man of God.  He was a man who knew politics.  He understood plots and machinations. He was not an innocent churchman who would turn the other cheek.  He had steel in him.

We reached York in the late afternoon. I was greeted warmly by the Archbishop. “Your men and squires can stay in the castle with the garrison but you two shall stay and dine in my hall.”

I knew the reason for the invitation.  Archbishop Thurstan was as careful as I was. His food was well cooked and presented. My cooks had a more functional attitude to food.  There was lots of it and it was hot.  The cook at the Archbishop’s hall chose very delicate and lightly spiced dishes.  Each course was a delight on the tongue.  Thurstan picked at his food.  He reminded me of a bird for he was angular and thin.  With his robes he looked like a raven. His sharp eyes missed nothing. When the last course had been taken away and we were left with the Malmsey wine he turned to me.

“You have examined each servant’s face closely, my Lord Cleveland. Are you seeking someone?”

I smiled, “You have sharp eyes, your grace.” I sipped some of the wine. “The letter from the Earl, the one you sent on to me, could it have been tampered with?”

His eyes narrowed, “Here?”

“I know not but the seal on the letter had been opened and then skilfully closed. Coming from Constantinople I have been taught to look for such things.  There is more intrigue at the court of the Emperor.”

“I take it you do not accuse me of such an act.”

“Of course not, your grace. But you can understand my worry. The letter had been opened and, I daresay, read.”

“You were right to broach the subject. I will conduct an investigation. I have my suspicions.” He refilled his own goblet and offered the jug to Sir Edward. “As you discovered in Durham the world of the church is as mired in intrigue as any royal court. The Pope and the King still have their differences. Pope Innocent belies his name. He seeks power and King Louis of France has visited him many times. They scratch each other’s backs. The clerk, who was appointed to Durham, is an example of his influence. The Pope would not agree to a new Bishop of Durham without his own man as clerk. The fact that William Cumin lived in London allayed the King’s fears somewhat but when they passed through my priests discovered his true allegiance.  We can do nothing, of course.  We just watch him. It is his position which worries me and if, as you suspect, I have a spy here then that suggests a plot.”

I poured some more wine, “That is another reason why I am here. I could not put what I am about to say in a letter.  When we spoke with Gospatric he allowed his tongue run.  He told me of many families who supported the idea of a kingdom in the north.  He wanted me to join him.”

“And that is understandable.  You hold the keys to the gates of the north.  So long as you are at Stockton then no one can come south.”

“The families he mentioned were Comyn, Buchan, and de Brus.  I believe this Cumin is a member of the Comyn family.  It ties him not only to the Pope and his plots but the King of Scotland and Gospatric.”

The Archbishop leaned forward making him more bird like. “Do the King and the Earl know..?” he waved a hand irritably before his face. “Forgive a stupid old man! Of course you have not told them for you dare not put that information in a letter.” He leaned back and closed his eyes.  Was he praying I wondered?

I looked over to Sir Edward.  He was watching us both in awe. He had been a humble man at arms when I had first met him.  This was plotting beyond anything he could ever have imagined.  He was like a sponge taking it all in.

Opening his eyes the Archbishop said, “You will be away for a month I am guessing.  By the time you return I should have discovered who the traitor in my house is and by then I can devise a code for you to use to send information to me. We can let the Earl have a copy so that we may communicate securely.  I pray you tell the Earl what you have told me. Those families are powerful not only in Scotland and the North but they have manors in other parts of the country.  They will spread their plots like the plague.” I must have grimaced for he said, “I am sorry, Earl Alfraed, that was a poor simile to use.  Your poor wife.  Forgive me.”

“There is nothing to forgive your grace.  I must bear the loss like a man.  She is in heaven now.”

The Archbishop said, “Amen to that.”

We headed south on the great north road.  Built by the Romans it had fallen into disrepair until King William arrived.  Now it was maintained by the lords whose manors bordered the long, two hundred mile route to London. We had made the journey so many times that we now knew which manors and monasteries would give us a warm welcome and accommodate us.  It made travelling more comfortable and safer. The problem with the road was that it was predictable. There was no other way to get to London without passing through it.

It was for that reason that we rode warily as though we were at war. My archers and the two whom Sir Edward had brought rode far ahead looking for signs of ambush. As we approached the huge forest which ran from south of Doncaster for many leagues, I sent the archers off to find those who lived in the woods and might wish to serve with me. To many that would seem a strange thing to do but Dick had been an outlaw and many of my men had begun life living beneath the greenwood. Ridley, Sir Edward’s sergeant of archers, now a greybeard, had been an outlaw himself; he knew the paths in the forest. The four of them rode off as we left the Monastery of the Black Friars and began the last half of our journey to London.

The road through the forest was now safer and well maintained.  There had been times when travellers had to be wary.  The outlaws now just hunted deer and game. Both were punishable by blinding or the loss of a hand and, if the lord of the manor so chose, death. However they were less likely to be caught doing that than robbing travellers.

Our archers did not return until late in the afternoon. They found us at a tavern where we were taking rest.  Our next bed was still some leagues away. They had with them four men.  All were young and had the lean look of men who spend their time in the forest.

We turned when they appeared. “My lord, this is James son of Robert. He and his three comrades would like to join us.”

I stepped towards them, “Good.” They had no horses and we had no spares. They would slow us down. “Leofric, fetch me wax and parchment.” While Leofric went to the saddlebags I continued, “My home is north of the Tees.” I gave James four silver coins.  “These will pay for food on your journey.” I waved over the inn keeper, “Put the food for these men on my bill.”

“Aye my lord.” Inn keepers were practical men.  So long as there was coin they would feed anyone.

Leofric handed me the parchment, goose quill and ink. I wrote a note for John. I folded it and sealed it with the wax and my ring. “This will act as a pass for you. If you are questioned when heading north then show them my seal.”

“Thank you, my lord.” The innkeeper brought out food and put it on a table for them. James said, “My lord, what is to stop us taking your money and disappearing back into the forest?”

Edward shook his head. I looked at him, “Nothing. But you will not do so else Ridley here would not have brought you to me.  He is a good judge of character and was like you before we hired him.  Besides if a few silver coins alone would suborn you then I would not wish you to be my men.” I waved a hand around the company. “I trust all of these with my life, James, son of Robert.”

“I am sorry, my lord, for my foolish question. We will not let you down.” He hesitated and looked at the others.  They all nodded at him, “My lord, you are not the only knight who tried to hire us.”

“Go on.”

“Seven days since our leader, Garth of Sheffield brought a mailed warrior into our camp. He had good mail and his sword looked well made.  But he had an evil look about him. His skin was as dark as a Saracen. I did not like his eyes nor the white streak in his beard.  His nose made him look like a hawk. He said he was looking for outlaws who did not mind cutting a few throats for a good reward.” He waved a hand at his companions, “We may be outlaws but we do not cut throats.  We left the camp.”

“Where did this Garth of Sheffield and the mailed warrior go?”

“They headed south.  We stayed here in the north.  If they were to cut throats then there would be hue and cry.  We would not wish to be caught up in that.” He looked down at his feet, “It is another reason why we took Master Ridley up on his offer.”

I took another silver coin from my purse, “Thank you, James, son of Robert.  You have given me valuable intelligence.”

We left the archers to their food and continued on our journey. Edward said, “We may be their target.  You know that.”

“I do. The question is where will they attack us?”

Ridley ventured, “My lord, James said they headed south. There is a village called Sutton.  It is close to the river and very close to a camp we used to use in the forest.  If we were ambushed there then we would have nowhere to flee. There is neither bridge nor ford.”

“And the village?”

“They were always friendly toward outlaws, my lord.” He hung his head, “Sometimes they lured travellers there and we robbed them.”

“That was in the past, Ridley and you have more than made up for the misdemeanours of your youth.”

I kicked Scout on.  Edward asked, “What do we do, my lord?”

I smiled, “Why we ride into their trap of course.” I saw Wulfric shake his head and chuckle. He knew me better than that.  “Ridley, take the archers, Wilfred, Brian and Ralph.  I want you to be there to ambush the ambushers when we get close.”

He grinned, “Aye my lord.” He pointed south.  “The village is five miles yonder.” He led off the archers and my three men at arms.

“The rest of us will now ride defensively. William and Leofric, you guard the sumpters and servants. John, you and I will lead this conroi. Edward, have your men at arms behind the sumpters.”

“But that will leave you isolated at the front!”

“And they will attack me first.  That will allow our other men to attack them.”

“You take a risk, my lord.”

“Life is a risk, my friend. We know we will be attacked and that is something our attackers do not know.  If I rode with riders ahead of me they would be wary. I want them confident and thinking that they can kill me quickly. Trust to your archer and my men at arms.”

John and I were ahead of the others now and he was nervous, “But how do you know that these men come for us, my lord? There are other travellers.”

“It is not arrogance which makes me believe that it is me they seek, John. My letters have been opened.  I did not imagine that. I have to take this road to get to the tourney and I have to be there by the summer festival. If you take each of those facts on their own then they mean nothing.  Put them together and have a mailed warrior asking for outlaws to cut throats and you have the potential for treachery.” He nodded, “Hold the standard in your left hand and have your sword ready. Do not be afraid to duck away from arrows.  I want you alive!”

It was Scout’s nose that warned me of danger.  He snorted, whinnied and lifted his head.  I had learned long ago in a forest in Normandy not to ignore such warnings. I spurred him and he leapt forward, taking John by surprise. My sudden movement saved both of our lives for the six arrows which would have ended our lives struck the air where we had been a heartbeat earlier.

I drew my sword and I saw the four men at arms break from cover on their palfreys and race toward me with swords at the ready. I heard shouts and cries from my right but I ignored them.  They came from the forest and there Ridley and my men would be having their own battle.  I had sprung the trap and now I had to make sure the enemy was vanquished. I kept to the centre of the road knowing that John was behind me and that Wulfric and Roger of Lincoln would be galloping to my aid. The four men at arms obliged me by riding along the road directly toward me.  They outnumbered me four to one. Sadly for them only two could fight me at once.

I headed between the two in the middle.  I did not slow up.   I still had quick hands. I brought my shield up and leaned into it without even looking at the man to my left. I concentrated on the man at arms to my right. I brought my right arm back and swung the sword horizontally. I felt the blow from the sword on my shield as mine smashed into the red and black shield.  My blow was so powerful and Scout’s speed so great that the force pushed the man at arms back.  The cantle held him but the blade slid up over his shield and across his throat. His shield dropped as life left his hands.

I wheeled Scout to the left to bring me up behind the other two men at arms. Wulfric charged one of them. The man, whose sword had smacked ineffectually against my shield, saw Wulfric bearing down on his companion and tried to turn his horse.  He wheeled around and the last thing he saw was my sword which plunged into his open mouth. Wulfric’s axe smashed through the shield of the other man at arms. It bit into his arm. His reins dropped and as he passed Wulfric, my sergeant at arms brought his axe across the back of his neck. His headless corpse fell to the ground. I saw Edward and his men at arms riding into the forest as I turned to go to the aid of John. I had no need.  The last man at arms lay dead on the ground.

Leofric and William brought up the horses and Sir Edward’s men and we waited for our hunters to return from the forest.  I handed my reins to John and dismounted. The dead men at arms had no livery.  They each had a dark red shield.  It looked to have been recently painted. Perhaps they were trying to appear as though they served the same lord. When I looked at their weapons I saw that they were of poor quality. These men had been hired to do this one job.  The painting of the shields in the same colour was to make any witness think they came from the same lord. The red shields were there to mislead.  Stephen of Blois had worn red when he had tried to abduct the Empress many years earlier.  Others knew of this, not many but enough.  They were trying to make it seem as though Stephen of Blois was behind this attack.  I knew it would not be him; mainly because he would have disguised his men better.  I did not like Stephen of Blois but he was no fool.  He was a cunning adversary.

I found the man’s purse and discovered it contained a brand new gold piece. It came from the Empire. It bore the image of Conrad, the Emperor who had succeeded Henry.  That did not mean he was behind it for any could have used such a coin.  However it meant my enemies had some presence in the Empire.  How did that tie in with an attack on me and the interception of a letter?

I turned, sword in hand, as I heard movement from the woods.  My archers and men at arms appeared.  There was blood on their clothes but they all looked to be intact.

Ridley said, “I am sorry we were tardy, my lord.  Garth of Sheffield was a cunning adversary.”

“He is dead?”

“He is dead as are all of them.”

Brian opened his hand.  There were silver coins, fresh minted. “They all had one of these, my lord.”

I examined one.  It had the image of Conrad upon it. “And the mailed warrior?”

Wulfric said, “He is not amongst the dead men at arms.  None had a hawk nose nor a white streaked beard, my lord.”

Brian shook his head, “He fled, my lord.  There were three men at arms in addition to the six archers.  By the time the enemy were all dead he was gone. He had escaped. But I would know his armour again if I saw it.”

“No matter.  It doesn’t give us an answer to this riddle but at least we have ended the threat.  Well done.  Let us push on to Newark. The sooner we are in London the better.”

As we headed south Wulfric said, “Perhaps Olaf’s ship might have been a better choice for our trip to London, my lord.”

“Edward laughed, “And then we would not have had the coin from the dead men, the armour and the horses.”

“You forget the most important treasure we gleaned, Sir Edward.”

“What is that?”

“Knowledge. There are more enemies than just the Scots and the brothers Blois.  We have enemies in the Empire.”

That evening as we ate a frugal meal at the Augustinian Monastery Leofric said, “My lord did you say that you and the Archbishop thought there was a spy in York?”

“Aye.”

“And that we know that the clerk of the Bishop of Durham is a spy too?”

I clapped him on the back, “Thank God you have a brain Leofric! Of course.” It suddenly came to me. I could see the whole picture.

Sir Edward looked confused, “I am sorry, my lord.  I cannot see the connection.”

“What ties York and Durham to the Holy Roman Empire?”

William chirped, “The Pope.”

“The Pope exactly.”

“But he would not want you dead would he?”

“Pope Innocent plays games and he dabbles in the game of thrones.  King Louis is an ally and King Louis has his eye on Normandy and Anjou.  Do not forget that he is betrothed to Eleanor of Aquitaine. If anything happened to the Empress then he would be able to grasp that prize.  You and I, Edward, are knights of the Empress. He kills us and she becomes more isolated.”

Wulfric had been chewing his food slowly.  I think he did so to make it go further but Wulfric was a thinker. “And, my lord, if this Cumin is a Comyn then it ties King Louis into the rebellion in the north.”

He was right and it was now even more urgent that I spoke with Robert of Gloucester. I also began to wonder about the dark skinned knight.  Could he be the same one Wulfric had seen in the camp at Berwick?